Rishia Zimmern’s Chicken With Shallots Recipe (2024)

This is a great recipe but what makes it even better is to finish it off in the oven which makes the skin crispy instead of mushy.

Regarding the shallots....is "a medium shallot" the 2 halves, or just one half that is found in a normal shallot? This makes a huge difference! I wish the recipe indicated the shallot amount in terms of ounces or cups. My grocery sells them 'whole' which is 2 halves, and some that have split in half already.

I call this the best chicken dish I ever made!!! I did not use so much wine, however, because it seemed like that would make it too sour for our taste. Instead I used a half cup of vermouth and the rest chicken broth. I also used skinless, boneless chicken thighs that I salted, floured and browned. Worked like a dream and it was truly "to die for!" I emailed all my sisters and my mother to alert them to this most incredible recipe!

No-Splatter Oven Method: Preheat oven to 400F. Saute shallots in butter in oven-proof pan over medium heat until browned. Nestle 8 washed-and-dried bone-in chicken thighs over shallots, skin side up (no flour needed). Whisk mustard with 1/2 cup dry vermouth, whisk in 2-3 sprigs tarragon, chopped, with stems. Pour mixture over thighs, tilting pan to distribute sauce. Bake 30 mins, remove to baste, add whole cherry tomatoes. Bake 20 min or so until chicken is browned and tomatoes are wrinkled.

I used skinned thighs. I don't like tarragon so I used a sprig of thyme and a bay leaf. I added some cognac with the wine, couple of tablespoons probably, and an additional tablespoon of whole grain mustard. Loved the shallots so I upped them. And lastly, added 3 coarsely chopped garlic cloves (large) to Step 4.

Have made this many times and wanted to mix it up a bit. I finished with 1/2 lemon's zest and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Little layer of heat was great and lemon brightness was a welcome addition.

Add mushrooms before shallots, set aside, then do the shallots. Add back in with thighs.
Add frozen peas with the tomatoes.

As was the case for others, this was the first recipe I made from this site, and it is still my very favorite. It's hard to believe that so simple a preparation can taste this good. I use several varieties of cherry and grape tomatoes from the garden in the summer, grape tomatoes from the store (most flavor) in the winter, and I agree that adding the tomatoes 15 minutes or so before the end, so that they burst, is a good move.

P. S.
A 28-ounce can of whole Roma tomatoes, instead of cherry tomatoes.
AJB

I think current recommendations advise against rinsing meat (or fish) before cooking it.

The tarragon can be a bit strong if you're not prepared for it. So add it slowly to taste. Additionally be careful about the wine and tomatoes you use. Cherry tomatoes can be very acidic as can white wines, a bad combination can make for an excessively acidic dish.

I have made this recipe numerous times, and now carmelize the shallots at the same time the chicken is browning. . .quite a timesaver on a weekday evening, and just as successful.

Made this tonight as directed. So good and so balanced! The only thing I did differently was sprinkle little chopped fresh tarragon at the end for color because the sprigs mostly stayed intact and didn’t move throughout the sauce. I was worried it might be too much tarragon but it was great. Made the recipe for a party of 7. Was a nice portion for everyone (thigh one or two shallots) but not leftovers :).

Use breaks, use 1/2 cup vermouth, rest chicken stock

This was terrible for me. I would not make again. It was bitter, which may have been bc of the wine I used, but the mustard never blended into the sauce, so it was unappealingly curdled looking. I also didn’t think the tomatoes went well with it.

Question… am i reading this correctly? Cook the chicken and then cook for another 59 minutes?? Pls help.

Added mushrooms prior to covering and simmering, substituted fresh basil and dill for the tarragon. Cooked the tomatoes the last 12 minutes and it was amazing. Served over farro.

In case it’s helpful for others who prefer boneless, I used 4 drumsticks and four boneless thighs, and put the pan in a 350 degree oven with the lid off for the last 20 min to keep it crisp. Served with roasted brussels sprouts and white rice - perfect!

Incredibly delicious. Made 1/2 recipe--only 4 chicken thighs, skin on. Used good wine--Santa Margherita. Can't wait to make this again, as my husband loved it too and even asked if it was ok if he had the leftover for lunch. Added some mushrooms. I did not flour the chicken because I left the thighs open to dry in the fridge in the morning.Added thyme sprigs, in addition to some dried tarragon I had handy. While this was cooking, roasted tomatoes in the oven and added them at the end.

I was expecting to be wowed by this recipe based on the comments, but found it kind of blah.

Love this dish, always a crowd pleaser. My wife thinks I should serve it with egg noodles. Has anyone tried that combination?

Feb 24, my second time w/ this recipe. I followed carefully last night and it turned out absolutely delicious. The shallots were charred, tender, and sweet. The chicken was lovely and the reduced sauce was amazing. I used tarragon and thyme. I added the cherry toms at the end, w/ the heat off. Served with boiled potatoes, crusty bread, and the remaining white wine. A celebration dinner. Bravo!

Omg. So easy. So good. We found smaller shallots that worked great. Followed someone’s suggestion here to pour boiling water over shallots to peel; good advice.

Absolutely excellent recipe . Truly delicious, works also with boneless chicken thighs . Does not require cream or chicken broth.

Slice the bigger shallots in 1/2 which helps them caramelize quicker & melt into the sauce a bit more. Put another small pat of butter in w/ shallots, as the chicken doesn't render much fat.

We made this as written and served it over pearled couscous which soaked up the abundant sauce nicely. Adding the tomatoes about two minutes before serving allows them to be cooked through but not burst. The leftovers were great and the flavor nicely preserved. Next time we will reduce the sauce for a total of 30 minutes for a more concentrated flavor.